Return of the Pharaoh
by yukipup
Summary: It's been one long year since Atem had to return to his life in Egypt. But neither he nor Yugi can let it go. Is it possible for them to find a way to be together again? AxY
1. Missing You

*****hey guys!! okay, so this is my first yu-gi-oh yaoi, but not my first, period. oh, btw i think i should let you know, that i've watched both the english and japanese versions, so i know that Atem's name is Atemu and so on and that he's only been gone for 3,000 years, but doing 5,000 makes it seem more distant and suspenseful. also, i interchange between yami and atem, so bear with me. ^_^ oh and of course, yu-gi-oh and the characters is not owned by me, i just own the storyline...of this yaoi of course. mwa ha ha ha!!*****

**Chapter 1: Missing You**

Yugi Moto sat on his bed wearily and sighed. It had been nearly a year since Atem had returned to his time to rule his kingdom in ancient Egypt. The two of them had dueled, Atem going back if Yugi won and Atem staying if he won.

Yugi moaned and fell onto his back. He had won. The young teenage boy had won against the pharaoh, and for them, it meant the end of a long term partnership. The two had been together since Yugi's freshman year in high school, Atem residing in the Millennium Puzzle and occasionally taking control of Yugi's body for duels or other permitting circumstances.

Yugi's hand fell to where the Puzzle _would_ have been…if Atem hadn't of had to take it back. The boy rolled over on his stomach and closed his eyes. The image of Atem walking through that door and into white light flooded his thoughts. He opened his eyes again and rolled back onto his back. They had always been close, but Yugi could never have guessed that Atem's return would affect him so bad…

***

Atem stared blankly at the duel going on in front of him as he sat in his throne. It had been one year since he painfully left Yugi behind to rule in his own time. The night before their final duel, Atem had stood in his mind chamber, brooding over the upcoming duel. They had been together for so long and now…sure they knew it would happen eventually, but they hoped it would have been _later_ than sooner.

Atem sighed. That night, one thought in particular had come to mind. He _loved_ Yugi. Yes, the way a brother loved a sibling or the way best friends loved each other in that friendly kind of way. But more that that, Atem _loved_ Yugi, like the way a long term partner loved the person they wanted to spend the rest of their life with.

The pharaoh groaned and leaned back, forgetting about the now seemingly pointless duel in front of him. The participants, two of Atem's advisors, stopped mid battle and looked at each other.

"What in the world?" the female, Isis, said. She was the ancestor of Ishizu Ishtar and like her descendant, shared the same loyal concern for her pharaoh.

The male, Mahaado (and in a way the Dark Magician), shrugged and looked at Atem. "He has been like this since he returned," he said. "Perhaps we should talk to him."

Isis nodded and the two of them quickly discarded their duel and walked over to where their king was sitting in his throne. "My lord?" Isis called.

Atem snapped back to reality and looked over at her and Mahaado confused. "Who won?" he asked.

"Neither," Mahaado answered. "We discarded the game. Good thing this was not an actual shadow duel."

"Oh," Atem said. His attention soon fluttered away again and he looked over to the side.

"Pharaoh!" Isis said loudly.

Atem snapped back again. "Yes?"

"What is wrong?" she asked.

Atem sighed and hesitated before saying, "Do you think I was right to leave them?"

His advisors looked confused momentarily then Mahaado caught the topic Atem was talking about. "You miss them!" he said suddenly.

Atem nodded.

Isis tilted her head to the side as her fellow advisor went on.

"It's that girl, is it not?" I cannot blame you, though. She is attractive."  
"Uh…Téa?" Atem said. "No, it's has nothing to do with her. I mean, I miss Téa dearly as well, but…" the pharaoh trailed off and looked toward the ground.

"Mahaado!" Isis suddenly said. "Why don't you go get something for our lord to eat?"

"Isn't that the cook's job?"

"Just do it!" Isis said, pushing him away.

The male grumbled something, bowed politely to Atem, then left. As soon as the door closed, Isis turned back to Atem.

"My lord?" Once she was certain she had Atem's attention, she continued. "You miss Yugi, don't you?"

Atem smiled. "You always were best at reading me," he told her. Then his smile faded. "Yes, I miss him. Terribly." He hid his face in his hand and added, "He was the closest thing I had."

"Well," Isis sat on her knees in front of Atem. "You could always go back."

Atem frowned skeptically. "And how to you propose I do that?"

"How did you get here?" she asked him.

"The Millennium Items, three Egyptian Gods, and a duel against one of my closet friends."

"Could you do the same thing to get back?" she suggested. "You won't have to duel little Yugi this time, but perhaps the power of the Millennium Items could help you once again."

Atem leaned forward. "You really think so?" he asked hopefully.

Isis nodded. "I do. I believe the bond of friendship you have with Yugi and the others is strong enough to overcome any barrier, even time."

Atem looked down at the ground in thought then looked back up at Isis. I'll give it a try."

Isis smiled back at him and nodded. At that time, Mahaado came back in with a tray of food. "Here you are, my lord," he said as he handed it to Atem.

The pharaoh absentmindedly took the tray, set it in his lap, and took a bite of his roasted vegetables, smiling as he chewed.

"Is it really that good?" Mahaado whispered to Isis.

Isis smiled at him. "I think food is the farthest thing from his mind," she told him before turning and walking out of the main room.

"Hmph." Mahaado crossed his arms and watched Atem. _'What kind of world is this when the pharaoh's top advisor doesn't get told anything anymore?'_ he thought. Then he sighed and took his place next to Atem's throne.


	2. His Return

*****okay, so before you read, let me just point out that Bakura and Marik are actually the good sides of them...I just don't like using their other names, lol...alrighty then! enjoy!*****

**Chapter 2: His Return**

Téa, Joey, and Tristan sat at their desks and watched Yugi as he sat on the other side of the classroom and stared out the window.

"Yuge looks really depressed, guys," Joey said, leaning his head on his hand.

"Yeah, thanks for the obvious, Sherlock," Tristan said sarcastically.

"Guys!" Téa said, breaking up the ridiculous fight. "Yugi's really upset. Atem was like his brother. They were always together."

"Yeah, literally," Tristan said.

"Uh, guys," Joey said.

"What is it?" Téa asked.

"Where'd Yuge go?"

The other two looked up and realized Joey was right. Yugi was suddenly missing.

"Should we look for him?" Téa asked.

Joey shook his head. "Nah, I think Yuge just needs a little time to himself right now. Losing someone isn't easy."

"But it's been a year," Tristan said, looking over at the doorway. "How much longer does he need?"

***

Yugi walked through the streets of Domino City as he made his way back home. He had left school early after hearing his friends talk about how depressed he looked. He sighed. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to start worrying about him. But they were right. As much as Yugi hated admit it, he _had_ been depressed ever since Atem left. Continuing to play duel monsters only provided temporary relief. Soon, it got to the point where he couldn't even play the Dark Magician without thinking of Atem. And soon after that, he couldn't even stand to look at his deck anymore. Actually, the truth was that Yugi's whole deck was inside the Millennium Puzzle's gold box under his bed. And it had been there for nearly six months now. _'Atem would so kill me,'_ he thought. Then he smiled as he imagined the pharaoh scolding him for giving up duel monsters over something like this, his violet eyes narrowed in a stern but gentle frown, his arms crossed as he stood in that authoritive but understanding demeanor of his.

Yugi's smile faded. He would give _anything_ to see Atem's face again…but what could _he_ do? Atem was in another time on another _continent!_ It was impossible to be able to see him again. Yugi sighed and looked up at the sky. _'Completely impossible.'_

"Yugi!

Yugi turned and saw Marik and Bakura walking toward him hand in hand.

"Oh, hey, guys."

"Hey," Bakura greeted in the cute British accent of his. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Yugi told him, forcing a smile. "I'm fine."

"Me thinks you're lying!" Marik said, smiling.

"Be quiet, doofus!" Bakura told his boyfriend and pushed him out of the way. "Now, Yugi, we can tell you're lying. What's wrong?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Marik said, pushing his way back between Bakura and Yugi. "Yugi misses the pharaoh!"

"I said hush!" Bakura said, pushing him to the ground. "Now, Yugi, tell me."

Yugi sighed. "All right. Marik's right. I miss Yami."

"Ah ha! I knew it!" Marik said triumphantly. He quickly settled down when Bakura looked over and raised an eyebrow. The white-haired boy then turned back to Yugi. "Isn't his name Atem?"

Yugi pouted. "Calling him that makes him seem even _more_ distant," he explained.

"Oh," Bakura and Marik said together. Yugi smiled slightly. The two of them had just started dating recently, but Yugi could tell they were happy. Although sometimes it seemed like Bakura was the one in charge of the relationship, despite him being the more docile of the two. Yugi chuckled. _'Marik's so whipped,'_ he thought.

The sound of Yugi's laugh distracted the other two from their sudden conversation of what they were going to have for dinner. "What?" they asked together.

Yugi laughed a little louder this time. "Nothing," he said.

Bakura switched glances with Marik then turned back to Yugi and smiled. "Yugi, would you like to join us for dinner? We're having spaghetti."

"But if you don't wanna, that's okay, too," Marik chipped in. "More for me."

Bakura elbowed Marik in the side. "Honestly, Marik, must you always think with your stomach?"

"Ow, Bakura," Marik whined. "You hit like a man…"

Bakura sighed. "I _am_ a man, you baby. Come here." Bakura placed Marik's arm across his shoulders then helped him up. "Better?"

"Much!" Marik said happily, giving Bakura a quick peck on the cheek.

Bakura sighed again. "Well, Yugi? Are you coming?"

"No thanks, Bakura. I think I'll just head home. I'm not too hungry actually."

"All right, the offer still stands if you change your mind."

Yugi nodded his thanks as the two turned away and watched as they engaged in their own little conversation.

"Yay! More spaghetti for me!"

"Do you want me to drop you?"

"…No."

"That's what I thought."

"You're so mean, Baku-chan."

Yugi's smile faded and he pouted again. What if he and Atem had had that kind of relationship? Would the pharaoh have left then? Yugi shook his head, forcing the thought away. There was no way that could have or even _would_ have happened. Sure Atem cared for Yugi greatly, anyone could see that from the many times the pharaoh risked his own safety to save Yugi. But there was a simple explanation for that. Atem needed Yugi to survive. After all, if Yugi ceased to exist, then so would Atem, being nothing but a wandering spirit. That was the only logical explanation.

Yugi felt his eyes tear up and he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve and continued on his way home.

***

Yami sat by himself in his room, the only light being that of a candle nearby. On the ground in front of him sat his three god cards: Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra. Beside them sat the Millennium Puzzle. He looked over to where the other Millennium Items were sitting by his bed. "All right," he said, turning his attention back to the objects in front of him. He soon let out a frustrated sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding? This is never going to work."

"My lord?" came a voice followed by a soft knock.

"Come in, Mana," Atem called, continuing to stare blankly at the things in front of him.

Mana opened the door and bounded to his side, her brown hair bouncing with every step she took.

"Aren't you supposed to be finishing your training for tonight?" Atem asked, his head tilted slightly as he stared at the Millennium Puzzle.

"Eh," came her reply. "Master Mahaado will find me eventually as usual. What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"Really?" Mana said, plopping on the ground next to him. "Seems like you're staring at inanimate objects as if trying to enter someone's soul or something."

"Huh?!" Atem swung his gaze to Mana. "What did you say?"  
"What? I was just saying that it doesn't seem like they are going to suddenly transport your soul to another dimension or anything."

"Mana, you're a genius!" Atem cried. He stood up and walked over to his bed and picked up the Millennium Eye from beside it.

"What?" Mana asked, looking around him. "How's the Eye going to help you?"

"Mana!"

The brunette flinched and turned around. "Master Mahaado! I was just—"

"Disturbing the pharaoh as such a late hour is not exactly wise."

"I wasn't disturbing!" Mana retorted. "I was helping."

"The only way you could help would be to get your troublemaking self to bed…now."

"Aw, Master!" Mana whined.

"Go on, Mana," Atem said to her. "Mahaado's right. It's late."

Mana pouted. "Yes, Pharaoh," she mumbled, before walking to Mahaado's side. Mahaado placed an arm around her shoulders. "Come on."

Atem watched them walk out of his room, smiling as Mana's disappointment disappeared. "Master, guess what? Master Atem said I'm a genius."

"We have yet to determine that," Mahaado said, nodding respectfully at Atem and closing the door.

Atem waited until their footsteps silenced then looked down at the Eye in his hand. The Millennium Eye had many powers, he knew…one of which was the ability to see inside a person's heart, mind, and memories. If he was lucky, and he was praying to Ra he was, he would be able to combine the powers of the Millennium Eye and Puzzle to connect his mind to Yugi's. "I don't have anything to loose," he mumbled. He walked back to his Puzzle and sat down again. "All right," he said, picking up the Puzzle and putting it around his neck. Then he held the Millennium Eye between his hands, closed his eyes, and concentrated. _'Come on, Yugi,' _he thought. _'I know you can hear me. Please answer…'_

***

Yugi opened his eyes and looked around as he tried to adjust to the darkness. _'Where am I?'_ he thought.

"Yugi…" a faint voice called.

"What?" Yugi's eyes widened and he looked up. "I know that voice."

"Yugi…please answer…"

"Yami?" he called softly.

"Yugi?" the voice called again, a bit louder this time.

"Yami! Where are you?"

"I'm here, Yugi…Look."

Yugi turned his head and noticed his surroundings were still dark, but now there was a faintly outlined silhouette in front of him. "Yami!" The boy unconsciously broke into a run toward the figure.

Suddenly, something from around the figure's neck began glowing. Yugi shielded his eyes with his arm and when the light died down, uncovered them.

There, standing in front of Yugi, plain as day, was Atem.

"Yami!" Yugi cried. He lunged forward and threw his arms around the pharaoh. "It's really you!"

"Yugi…" Atem sad softly, wrapping his around Yugi tightly. "It really worked."

"I can't believe it, " Yugi said, unable to hold back tears any longer. "You're actually here."

Yami looked down at Yugi sadly and gently pushed him a step back. "Yugi, I'm afraid I'm only in your dreams at the time," he explained.

"I don't care," Yugi said. "I'm just glad I can finally see you again!" And with that he hugged Atem again.

Atem smiled and tightened his arms around Yugi. "Yugi, listen," he said suddenly.

Yugi looked up expectantly. "What is it?"

"I'm working on a way to come back to you."

"Haven't you already?"

Atem looked to the side. "As I said before, the only way I'm speaking to you through your dream is by the powers of the Millennium Eye and Puzzle."

"You combined them?!" Yugi asked, shocked. Yami nodded. "You can do that?!"

Atem nodded. "I didn't know it either," he added with a laugh.

Yugi just stared dreamily at Atem. He sighed then laid his head against the pharaoh's shoulder. "I miss you so much."

Atem leaned his head against Yugi's and closed his eyes. "I miss you, too."

"So when are you coming back?" Yugi asked, taking a small step back.

The pharaoh's expression saddened again. "I'm afraid I can't exactly say," he told him. "But I swear to you, I'll try my hardest to get to you soon."

Yugi smiled as his eyes teared up again. "I don't care how long it takes. As long as I can see you like this, I'll be happy."

Atem smiled and hugged Yugi for the last time that night. "Thank you, Yugi. Now, I must go, but don't give up on me, all right?"

"Yeah," Yugi said. "You can count on me." Then he watched as the Millennium Puzzle around Atem's neck glowed, enveloping the surroundings in white light once again. When he opened his eyes again, he was back home in his bed with the first rays of sunshine beginning to shine through his window. He sighed and fell onto his back. He now had something to look forward to: Atem was coming back to him. And with that thought in his mind, Yugi got up to get ready for school.

***** That's right, hate me! I made Yugi quit dueling!! Mwa ha ha ha!! lol, don't worry, though, it's not permanent. He just needs a good dose of sexy pharaoh inspiration!...Like I needed with this story. Well, chapter 3 will be up soon, so stay tuned!*****


	3. Finding A Way

*****okay, well, first off let me start by saying how thankful i am to all you who have reviewed and favorited this story so far. it really makes me glad that you like it! -^^- okay, so no i'll stop blabbering and we'll get to chappie 3. again thanks!!*****

**Chapter 3: Finding a Way**

Atem opened his eyes and blinked. He was back in his room at his palace. He sighed happily. Finally, after nearly a year, he had been able to see Yugi's face again. "I can't believe that actually worked," he said to himself.

"Pharaoh!" came Mana's voice from outside.

Atem got up and opened the door. "Good morning, Mana."

"Good morning! Did my idea work?"

Atem patted her on the shoulder. "It did. Thank you."

"Your welcome!" she said, although she still wasn't sure what it was she did…or how grateful Atem really was. "Now, forgive me, but I have to go hide from Master Mahaado. Bye!"

Atem shook his head. Mana was a troublemaker at times, but she had a pure heart, and right now, the pharaoh was glad to have that.

***

Yugi ran into the classroom and over to his friends. "Good morning, guys!"

"Huh? Good morning," Téa said.

"Hey, Yuge," Joey greeted. "You're awfully cheery this morning."

"It's nothing really," Yugi said. "But, by the way, Yami says hi."

"Yami?!" his friends exclaimed.'

Yugi nodded. "Yep! I talked to him last night. Well, in a dream actually…"

"No way!" Téa said. "What did he say?"

"Nothing really," Yugi said. "Just hi." He hated to keep amazing news like this away from his friends, but he knew Téa still had a crush on the pharaoh, and telling her Atem was trying to come back would just excite her unnecessarily. "Hey," he said suddenly. "Has anyone seen Bakura and Marik?"

Tristan pointed a few desks away where Marik was propped on top of Bakura's desk, ranting endlessly. "So I said to him that he was absolutely insane and had no right to—"

"Yugi!" Bakura cut Marik off as Yugi walked toward them.

"Hey guys!" Yugi greeted.

"You look happy," Marik pointed out with a smirk. "Let me guess, Pharaoh visited you in a dream last night?"

"Is it really that obvious?" Yugi asked, unable to hide a smile.

"I was right?" Marik said. "I was just teasing you!"

Yugi placed a finger over his lips. "Sh! I don't want anyone else knowing!"

"How did he do it?" Bakura asked.

"Is he coming back?" Marik asked.

"Sh!" Yugi said again, glancing back at the others. Then he turned his attention back to the two next to him. "Okay, he combined the Millennium Puzzle and Eye and somehow transported into my mind when I was sleeping, therefore appearing to me in a dream. And yes, he's working on coming back."

"That's great!" Bakura said, leaning his head on Marik's side. "I'm happy for you."

Marik nodded in agreement as he ran his fingers through Bakura's hair. He suddenly stopped mid-stroke and raised an eyebrow. "Hey," he said. "I just thought of something. What will Atem do when he comes back? Last time he just shared your body, but will he have one of his own this time around?"

Yugi frowned slightly. "You know, I didn't ask," he admitted. "I was just so happy to see him again, it never crossed my mind."

"He'll think of something," Bakura said, closing his eyes and relaxing as Marik stroked his hair. "He usually does."

Marik nodded his agreement and he and his boyfriend fell silent again.

Yugi decided to leave them and went back to his friends.

"What was that about?" Tristan asked.

Yugi shrugged. "Homework stuff," he lied. "Speaking of homework, I think class is about to start."

The other three agreed and took their seats as the teacher walked in.

Yugi sat in his desk, smiled, and stared out the window. He only had to make it through the day and he could see his Atem again. _'But if I stay excited like this, I may not be able to sleep!'_

***

"Pharaoh!"

Atem sighed as Mana bounded into his room for the fifth time that day. "Mana…"

"Guess what?" she went on, ignoring Atem's warning tone. "I beat Master Mahaado!"

"Well done," Atem said, trying to concentrate on the Millennium Items in front of him. "Now, Mana, I'm trying to concentrate."

Mana pouted. "Fine," she sighed. "I suppose I'll just go back and find Master…"

"Mm-hm," Yami said, absently. He barely noticed when Mana puffed out a breath of annoyance and left his room. _'Now then,' _he thought. _'If the Millennium Eye allows me into Yugi's mind, then surely another Item would help me to his body.'_ He frowned. He didn't want to take over Yugi's body again. It would be better if he could have his own body to touch and hold Yugi with, rather than them sharing the same one all the time with only mental exchanges between the two. No, when he went back to Yugi, he would have his own body. The only question was how?"

A knock at the door disturbed him. "Mana, I'm busy," he said, finally feeling a bit annoyed.

"My lord, it's me," came Isis' voice.

Atem quickly got up and opened the door. "Oh, I'm sorry. Come on in."

Once she was in and Atem had shut the door, Isis sat on the floor next to where the pharaoh had set the candle. "Did you find anything?" she asked.

Yami sat down next to her. "Well," he began. "I found that using the Millennium Eye with the Puzzle allows me to enter his mind…well dreams to bed more exact since he's a bit calmer then."

"That's wonderful!" Isis said.

"It would be better if I could transfer my body instead."

Isis placed her hand comfortingly on Atem's shoulder. "You'll find a way, my Pharaoh," she said. Then, getting up and turning away she added, "You always do."

"Thank you," he said softly. "Oh, Isis!"

Isis turned to him. "Yes?"

"If I _do_ happen to come up with something and…well, I disappear…will you tell Mahaado I want him to take my place?"

Isis smiled warmly. "Of course," she replied.

Atem smiled his thanks and watched as Isis left the room, then turned his attention back to the Puzzle once more. _'There has to be something I can…Wait!'_ His thoughts suddenly traveled back to when Marik had his evil side and suddenly an idea came to him. If the Millennium Rod allowed someone to take control of another person's mind and body, then perhaps combining the powers of the Rod with the Puzzle would allow him to transfer his body to another time! How, he had now idea, but it was worth a try…but not tonight. Doing something like that surely required a lot of energy, something he didn't have to spare, especially since he still had to go say good night to Yugi. He sighed and held the Millennium Eye in his hands and closed his eyes.

Soon, the pharaoh entered a dark area and looked around. It didn't take long for him to find who he was looking for; all he had to do was listen for the voice of a frustrated Yugi calling for him.

He chuckled and walked behind him. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get to sleep, seeing as how excited you were last night."

Yugi swung around and tackled Atem. "Yami! It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that. I could barely make it through school."

Yami laughed. "You do tend to let little things bother you."

"You're not a little thing," Yugi pointed out. "You're my best friend."

Yami smiled. "And you're mine. Now, let's sit and talk."

"Okay," Yugi said, sitting across from Atem. "So did you figure out how you could get here?"

"I have a theory," Atem said, slowly. "But I'm afraid that's all it is."

"Let's hear it," Yugi told him eagerly.

"All right," Atem said, crossing his legs. "Remember when Marik took over our friends' bodies?"

"I try not to," Yugi said. "But anyway."

"Anyway," Yami continued, trying to hide a smile. "The Millennium Rod allows control of someone's mind and body. So if I do what I did before with the Millennium Eye and use the Rod with our Puzzle, I could be able to transport my body to your time."

"How would you do that?" Yugi asked, tilting his head.

"I have no idea," Yami admitted. "But it's worth a try."

Yugi smiled. "Just the fact that you're trying means the world to me."

Yami smiled back. "I'm glad. But I won't be able to try until tomorrow. I don't have nearly enough strength."

"That's okay," Yugi told him. "I don't want you to get here and be so exhausted you can hardly stand."

Yami nodded. "Right. Now, off to bed, little Yugi."

"I'm not that little anymore, you know. I _did_ grow a few inches."

"I'm aware of that. But you still need sleep," Yugi sat frozen in place as Yami leaned forward and kissed him softly on the forehead. Their eyes met and the pharaoh smiled. "Good night, Yugi."

"'Night, Yami," Yugi all but whispered.

Yami smiled then opened his eyes and he was back in his time. The pharaoh chuckled as he set the Millennium Eye back down. "That's going to keep him awake for a while."

Yugi opened his eyes and blinked. He was back in his room, sitting on his bed and completely awestruck. Yami had _kissed_ him! Yes, it was on the forehead, but nonetheless it was still a kiss! Yugi blushed brightly and hid his face in the pillow. It was way too good to be true. This could only mean that Yami felt the same way about him that Yugi had always felt for the pharaoh! He sure hoped so, that much was for sure. The boy put his pillow back in its place and crawled under the covers once more.

If the pharaoh really _did_ feel the same way that Yugi did, when he managed to come back, things would definitely get interesting.

*****sry, i had to put in the part when yugi said he grew a few inches...it has a double meaning XD anyway, i hoped you liked this chapter, because things are about to get interesting starting with chapter 4!*****


	4. The Travel

**Chapter 4: The Travel**

Yami stood, a determined expression on his face as he faced the wall. Around his neck hung the Millennium Puzzle; in his hand was the Millennium Rod. It was the moment of truth. Whether or not he would actually be able to _see_ Yugi again depended on this exact moment. He had been trying for the past week, every attempt ending in a complete failure. Yugi had said that he would get it eventually, but it was obvious for Atem to see exactly how upset Yugi actually was.

The pharaoh took a deep breath, held it for a couple seconds, then exhaled slowly. _'This is it,'_ he thought. "Millennium Items!" he said loudly. "I command you! Combine your powers together. Allow me to transfer my body and soul to the future!"

The two items glowed brighter than before as Yami spoke. He paused only to think, _'Looking good. Here I go,' _then yelled, "Now! Take me to Yugi's side without fail!"

The bright light became even more intense and in the midst of all the white…everything went black…

***

Yugi sat at his desk at school and stared off into space. It was the end of the school day, but he was waiting for Joey and Tristan to finish their cleaning assignment. Téa had already left, saying she had some important things at home to take care of.

Today was the day that Yami was supposed to try to come forward in time…again. The pharaoh had been trying endlessly without success, only barely mustering up the energy at the end of the day to visit Yugi in his dreams. Of course, Yugi knew that there was always the chance it would fail again, but Yami had told him not to give up, and as far as he knew (at least he thought so) "give up" was not in his mental dictionary.

He looked up as Joey walked back into the classroom, followed closely by Tristan. "Hey, Yuge," Joey said. "What are you still doing here?"

Yugi shrugged. "I'm not in a hurry to get home, so I thought I would wait for you guys," he said.

"Wanna go to the arcade?" Tristan asked. "I challenge Joey to a duel!"

Yugi shrugged again, Joey nodded. "Sounds good to me," he blond said. "But I'm gonna cream you like corn!" (get it, creamed corn? Lol)

The three of them left school and headed to the arcade. Joey and Tristan were taking bets on which one of them would win their virtual duel. Yugi walked behind them, his eyes to the ground. Even if Yami _was_ able to make his way back, would he be okay? Yugi remembered how drained his friend had looked when he came to talk to him every night. The effort of trying to maintain the Items at such a distance with such little energy was definitely taking its toll. So what if the strain of trying to maintain the Millennium Items he was using drained him of entirely everything? If that happened…would he wake up? Yugi sighed, causing his friends to look back at him.

What's up, Yuge?" Tristan asked.

Yugi looked up surprised. "Oh, sorry guys."

"Are you okay, little buddy?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yugi told them. "I think I'm going to head home, guys."

"Uh, sure," Tristan said, a little confused.

Joey nodded. "Sure thing, Yuge! See ya tomorrow!"

"Bye!" Yugi said, giving his friends a quick wave before running in the opposite direction.

Tristan turned to Joey. "I thought he wasn't in a hurry to get home."

"He probably had the pharaoh on the mind. Poor guy. Yami was his best friend."

"Well, what are we then? Tristan asked, beginning to walk again. "Chopped liver?"

Joey looked up at the sky. "Give it a rest, Tristan. Whenever something happens to us, Yuge is always there to help us get through. Now it's our turn. We have to be there for Yugi now more than ever. That's what friends do!"

***

Yami moaned and opened his eyes. _'Huh?'_ he thought. _'Where am I?'_ "Ow." He held his head as he sat up. For some reason it was spinning and throbbing badly, each pulse stronger than the last. _'What happened?'_ he wondered. After a couple seconds, everything came back to him. The last thing he remembered was standing in his room with the Millennium Items and calling on them to help him find his way to Yugi…

His thoughts stopped and he gasped in shock. There was no way! _'I'm in Yugi's room!'_

His first thought was that it was a dream, but as he looked around, he began to doubt that. The blue walls, the bed on his left, the desk by the window…There was no mistaking it. Yami looked down at himself. He was still in his pharaoh attire, but that was to be expected. After all, changing times didn't magically change your clothes as well. But other than that, everything seemed…normal. And normal meant that he was 100% solid and not a spirit.

"I did it," he whispered.

"Yugi, is that you?" came Solomon Moto's voice. The old man opened the door and stopping in shock. "By the gods!" he exclaimed. "Atem! Is that you?"

Atem sighed in relief. "You can see me?"

"Of course I can! You're standing plain as day in my grandson's bedroom!"

"Thank goodness," Atem sighed. "Where is Yugi?"

"He should be home any minute now," Solomon answered, still slightly amazed.

As if on cue, the door downstairs opened and closed. "Grandpa? Are you home?" came Yugi's voice.

"Up here, Yugi!" Solomon called back.

He and Atem switched glances as they heard Yugi come upstairs. Solomon looked over when Yugi walked over to him. "Welcome home, Yugi."

"Hi, Grandpa," Yugi answered, the faintest hint of confusion in his voice. Yami smiled. When you spent years being as close as they were, you noticed these things more readily.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"Well," Solomon began. "I thought I heard something so I came to see what it was."

"Are you sure you're not imagining things?" Yugi asked, walking into his room.

"I don't think he is, Yugi," Atem said with a small smile.

Yugi swung his eyes from his grandpa and stared speechless. "Ya…mi?"

"You look surprised," Yami told him, amused.

Yugi continued to stare. "You did it..." Yami nodded. "All right!" Yugi jumped forward, dropping his backpack, and tackled Yami so hard that the pharaoh fell backwards and Yugi tumbled down on top of him.

Solomon laughed. "All right, you two. Some of us have a shop to run so I'll see you later." Yugi and Yami said nothing as Solomon turned and left.

The two on the floor hugged each other tightly, neither one really wanting to let go. Finally, Atem released his friend. "All right, Yugi. Time to get off."

Yugi ignored him and tightened his grip.

Yami laughed and gently pushed him away as he sat up. "Come on, Yugi."

Yugi's eyes shone happily. "You did it!" he said again.

"You already said that," Yami pointed out.

Yugi nodded. "I know, but I'm just so excited!"

Yami crossed his legs and smiled. "I told you I would find my way back to you somehow."

"It's just like a lost puppy," Yugi said with a smile.

Yami frowned. "I'm not a puppy, Yugi."

"Lighten up, it's a figure of speech." Yugi hesitantly crawled forward and sat on Yami's lap. The pharaoh didn't even flinch which Yugi took as a good sign, so the younger boy hugged Atem again. "I can't believe you're really here," he whispered.

Atem laid his head on Yugi's shoulder. "I know," he said. "But I am. And right now, that's the only thing in the world that matters to me."


	5. Stuck In Bed

**Chapter 5: Stuck in Bed**

Atem sat on Yugi's bed and sighed impatiently. They had just finished dinner and right now Yugi was in the shower…and taking forever. The pharaoh stood up and opened the door to Yugi's room. It was a good thing he spent so much time in Yugi's body…he knew where everything was. He poked his head out of the door, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and took a step into the hallway. He could hear the water running in the bathroom and decided he would see how much longer his friend had.

"Yugi?" he said as he knocked on the door. No answer. "Yugi?" he called again. Still no answer. _'What's going on?'_ Something in his gut told him something was wrong so, despite any last protests in his mind, he pushed open the door slightly. "Yugi, are you okay?" he asked. He frowned when Yugi still didn't answer. "This isn't funny," Atem said, pushing open the door completely. He walked over to the shower curtain and pulled it aside then gasped. "Yugi!"

On the floor of the bathtub, leaning against the wall was an unconscious Yugi. The pharaoh leaned down and lifted Yugi's head. "Yugi?"

"Mm?" Yugi opened his eyes slightly. "Yami?" he said softly.

"Yugi, are you alright?" Yami asked, his voice loaded with worry.

"Y-yeah," Yugi said as he tried to sit up. He suddenly moaned and fell back onto Yami's arm. "Uh, maybe not."

"Definitely not," Yami amended. "What happened?"

Yugi blinked then looked up in thought. "I…I don't know. One moment I was taking a shower and the next thing I knew I felt this pain in my chest and stomach and everything went black."

Yami lifted his hand and placed it on Yugi's forehead. Yugi looked at him confused when he jerked his hand back in shock. "What is it?" he asked.

"You have a fever," the pharaoh said with a frown of concern on his face.

"That's crazy," Yugi said with a small laugh. "I can't be sick. I was just fine a minute ago. Plus, we haven't even celebrated your return properly!"

Yami shook his head. "No, Yugi. You need to take it easy."

"But, Yami—"

"Yugi!" Yami said firmly. Yugi became quiet and pouted slightly. He knew there was no arguing when the pharaoh used his "authority" voice so he simply sighed and closed his eyes.

"Yugi," Yami said, a bit more gently. "We'll celebrate later. Right now you need to get to bed and rest so you can get well."

"Alright," Yugi finally agreed when he opened his eyes. "But I'm too tired to pull myself up."

Yami shook his head then stood up and walked over to the closet and pulled out a towel. Then he went back to Yugi and wrapped the smaller boy in the towel. "I don't want you getting any worse," he said. "Now hold on to me."

Yugi did as he was told and wrapped his arms around Atem's neck. Atem then put one arm under Yugi's legs and the other under his back and lifted him up. Yugi sighed and nuzzled his face into Atem's shoulder.

"I wouldn't get used to this if I were you," Atem joked. "That'd be spoiling."

Yugi lifted up his head, childishly stuck his tongue out, and hid his face again.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be," Yami said as he carried Yugi to his room. "Fine, then."

Yugi smiled as he concentrated on the smell of Yami's body. He had no idea how he had gotten sick so quickly, but if it meant Yami would take care of him like this, it couldn't be all bad. He opened his eyes when he felt Yami stop and he was suddenly placed on the bed.

Yami bent down and gently pulled the blanket over Yugi's body.

Yugi smiled and let out a cough. "This is terrible," he said, his eyes barely open. "I can't believe I got sick."

Atem sat on the edge of Yugi's bed and placed a hand on Yugi's chest. "It's not your fault, Yugi. You can't control what happens to your body."

Yugi pouted. "But still! Tonight was supposed to be the night when you came back and we celebrated."

"And did you really expect to celebrate at eleven at night? Besides, neither one of us were certain I would succeed."

Yugi looked to the side and didn't answer. Yami smiled and moved his hand from Yugi's chest to his cheek. "Yugi." He turned the boy's head so he was looking directly in his eyes. "We'll celebrate when you get better, I promise, but right now you need to rest."

Yugi sighed and rolled over. "Fine," he sighed. He looked over his shoulder when he felt Atem get up. "Where are you going?"

Yami looked back at him. "Well, I _was _going to the guest room, but you have another idea?"

Yugi blushed a bit. "Well, I mean, when you were in the Puzzle you always slept by me. Well sorta…I mean the Puzzle was by me when I went to sleep. Um…"

Yami laughed. "I think I get it, Yugi. You want me to sleep next to you?"

Yugi nodded, unable to say anything.

Yami smiled, closed the bedroom door, and walked back to the bed. Yugi stared as the pharaoh quickly stripped himself of everything then pulled on a pair of pajama pants. Yami caught his eyes. "What?" he asked.

Yugi looked away, blushing again. "Nothing."

Yami raised an eyebrow then got on the bed. "All right, Yugi. Scoot over."

Yugi obediently slid over to the side, allowing Atem to crawl into the covers next to him. When the pharaoh finally got settled, Yugi wiggled closer to Atem and so his head was pressed against the skin between Yami's neck and shoulder.

"Comfy?" Yami asked. Yugi just closed his eyes and nodded. Yami smiled, wrapped his arms around Yugi, and both of them went to sleep.

***

Téa leaned back in her chair and sighed. Joey and Tristan were nearby dueling, but Yugi was nowhere in sight. Sure, he had ditched Algebra before, but that was because the pharaoh had wanted to go to Domino Museum to try and unlock his past.

Joey and Tristan suddenly came to her side. "Hey, Téa, are you okay?"

"What? Téa looked over. "Are you guys finished already?"

"Yep," Joey said. "I creamed Tristan of course."

"You cheated," Tristan countered.

"Whatever," Joey said. "So anyway," he turned back to Téa. "So, what's up?"

Téa looked down. "Well, I'm worried about Yugi."

"Oh," Joey said, sitting in the desk next to her. "I'm sure he's fine. We'll just go check on him after school."

"Okay," Téa sighed.

Later, Téa met Joey and Tristan outside the school. "All right, guys," Joey said. "Let's go."

The three of them soon arrived at Yugi's house and Joey knocked on the door. "No answer," he said when no one came to the door.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tristan said, pushing past Joey. "Let's just go in!"

Meanwhile, Yami came upstairs with a bowl of soup and set it on Yugi's nightstand. Yugi had fallen asleep for the third time that day and was still sweating from his raging fever.

Yami gently bent down and picked up the damp rag he had placed on Yugi's head, rewet it, and gently placed it back.

Yugi moaned lightly and opened his eyes. "Oh, hi," he said softly when he saw Yami standing over him.

"Hi," Yami said back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Yugi smiled. "I was waking up anyway," he said weakly. He tried to sit up, but fell back again and groaned.

"Yugi, you're still too weak," Atem told him, placing a hand on Yugi's chest and firmly but gently pressing down. "How many times are you going to try?"

Yugi blinked and placed his hands over Yami's. "But I hate lying here all day. I feel so useless."

"Yugi, you're sick," Yami responded, picking up the bowl of soup. "Now, will you cooperate and eat this soup or will I have to force feed you?"

"You can cook?" Yugi asked, taking the bowl and setting it on his stomach.

"Of course," Yami said with a smile. "Then again, heating up a can of soup doesn't take a genius."

Yugi smiled back. "I guess you're right."

The two of them suddenly heard the door close and Yugi propped himself on his elbows as Yami looked over. "I thought Grandpa wasn't going to be back 'til later," he said.

Yami nodded. "You're right. You stay here, Yugi, I'll go look." He put the soup back on the nightstand and stood up.

Yugi sighed, but didn't argue and laid back down. _'Overprotective,'_ he thought.

"I heard that," Yami said, walking out. "We may not share a body, but we're still linked."

Yugi smiled and rolled onto his side. Maybe Yami wasn't as distant as he first thought.

"Yugi!" Joey called from the shop part of Yugi's house. "Come on, Yuge, where are you?!"

"Joey?" came a familiar voice. "Is that you?"

Joey looked to the staircase where the voice came from. "No way," he said. "It can't be!"

"What, Joey?" Téa asked.

Joey ignored her and ran to the stairs. "It _is_ you!" he exclaimed. "Yami!"

"Yami?" Téa and Tristan ran to his side. Sure enough, there was Yami, looking down at them from about halfway up the stairs. The three of them quickly ran up to greet him, but Yami put his hands in front of him and took a step up. "I wouldn't get too close," he said. "Yugi's sick."

"But if you guys share a body, wouldn't _you_ be sick, too?" Téa asked. "How are you even here?!"

Yami smiled. _'Yugi must not have told them anything.'_ In response to his friends' curiosity, the pharaoh turned around and motioned for them to follow. "Follow me," he told them, "but you have to be quiet."

The other three followed Yami up the stairs and stopped when he paused outside Yugi's door. "Now he has a high fever and absolutely no energy so he may be asleep again. So like I said before, be _quiet_."

His friends nodded so Yami quietly opened the door and walked in. Sure enough, Yugi had closed his eyes again and was breathing softly.

Yami moved to the side and allowed the others to walk to the side of Yugi's bed.

"Aw, man," Joey said. "Poor Yuge."

Téa turned to Yami. "Is he okay?"

Yami nodded. "He's fine. He just needs a little rest is all. Although, I wish he would have eaten the soup I gave him," he added, glancing toward the nightstand.

"When will he get better?" Tristan asked.

"Not sure," Yami replied, tucking Yugi's blanket around him. "But hopefully it will be soon."

Téa noticed the loving look in Yami's eyes as he stared at Yugi and decided she wasn't comfortable with it. "So how are you here again?" she asked out of the blue. "And in separate bodies!"

Yami turned to her, a little surprised at the random question until he remembered she had asked it before. "I suppose I do owe you guys and explanation," he said, being careful not to wake Yugi when he sat down on the bed. "A couple of days ago, I found that I could transfer my mind through time with the power of the Millennium Items." He decided it would be better to cut out the mushy details between him and Yugi…especially with the very faint, but still present glimmer of jealousy in Téa's eyes. "Long story short, I used them to transport my body forward to your time again." He looked to the side as he added, "I couldn't bear to stay away from you guys any longer. I guess I'm weak after all."

"No way, Yuge!" Joey said, temporarily forgetting he was talking to the pharaoh…and to keep his voice down. "Missing your friends doesn't make you weak! It means you have a heart, and a strong one at that!"

Yami smiled. "Thank you, Joey."

The four of them fell silent when Yugi moaned and rolled onto his back. "Joey, do you have to be so loud?" he complained softly.

Yami immediately got up and placed his hand on Yugi's head. Yugi gave him a small smile when he pulled his hand away, a disappointed look on his face.

"Still high?" Yugi asked.

Yami nodded. "I'm afraid so."

Yugi looked over at his friends. "Sorry, guys, I'd talk to you more, but I'm too weak and I don't want you to get sick. Maybe you should go."

"What about Yami?" Téa asked, glancing at the pharaoh.

Yugi frowned slightly. "He'll be fine. Won't you?" he said, meeting Yami's eyes.

The pharaoh smiled. "High immunity," he said simply.

Joey smiled and exchanged high fives with Yami. "Welcome back pal," he said. "You have no idea how depressed Yugi was while you were gone." Then, turning to Yugi he added, "Get better soon, Yuge. We have a huge Algebra test next week."

"Way to cheer him up," Tristan joked. "Come on. See ya guys!"

The boys walked out, leaving Téa behind. She stood, staring at Yugi and Yami for a moment longer then followed the other two out. "Wait for me, guys!"

Yugi waited until the door closed then looked at Yami. "I think she still likes you," he mumbled.

"Yugi, stop," Yami told him gently. "You know you're my only aibou." As if emphasizing his point, he bent down and kissed Yugi on the nose. "So what was that about you being depressed?"

Yugi frowned. "I'm sure you already know," he mumbled. "You know how I get."

Yami raised an eyebrow and took one of Yugi's hands. "That I do. Now, go back to sleep."

Yugi shook his head. "I can't. I'm hungry now."

Yami sighed and gave the bowl to Yugi. "You realize it may be cold now, right?"

Yugi stuck his tongue out then sipped a spoonful of soup. "Yum…"

Yami watched as his partner ate his soup quickly. "You really were hungry," he said, tilting his head slightly. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday at dinner."

"Yugi…"Atem sighed. "Why didn't you eat anything before this?"

Yugi frowned. "Because I've been bedridden all day. If you were so worried, you could have fed me something."

"I didn't want to wake you up," Yami said back. "Do you want more?"

"Hm?" Yugi looked down and noticed his empty bowl. "Oh, yes, please."

Yami shook his head and took the bowl. "I'll be right back," he told the younger boy before walking out.

Yugi smiled and laid back in his bed. Sure, being sick and missing school sucked, but being home with Yami definitely made up for it.

*****as you can probably tell, i'm not a big fan of tea...i don't know why, i just don't like her so i made her jealous lol. I couldn't help myself. both yami and yugi are too good for her anyway lol but, anyway, thanks to all you who have been reviewing!*****


	6. A New Danger?

*****sry it took me so long to update. this chapter has been sitting on my computer for who knows how long. -^^- well anyway, enjoy!*****

**Chapter 6: A New Danger?**

Yugi sat in his bed as he read a book. It was the third day of his sickness, but he was finally getting better to the point that he could sit up easier. He looked up and smiled when Atem walked into his room with a basket full of clothes.

Ever since he had returned, Atem had been busily taking care of Yugi and his chores. Yugi had tried to tell him multiple times (12 to be exact) that he didn't have to wear himself out everyday, but Yami insisted that he would take care of it all. He had even gone to Domino High and got Yugi's work for him, hence the book. The upside to all this was by mid-afternoon, the two had some relaxation time where they would either cuddle on the couch and watch TV or cuddle on the bed and take a nap. Today, though, Yugi wasn't in a cuddling mood. Not yet, anyway. No, he just wanted to do something different today.

"Hey, Yami?" he called.

Atem looked over from where he was putting clothes in his and Yugi's closet. "Yes, Yugi?"

Yugi set down the book and put his hands in his lap. "Can we play a game today?"

"Of course. Let me finish this first."

"No," Yugi half whined. "I told you not to worry about it. I'll do it myself."

Yami sighed. "Fine. What did you have in mind?"

Yugi shrugged. "I dunno. I was kinda thinking a board game like Monopoly or checkers."

"Do you want to duel?" Yami asked.

"What?" Yugi's eyes widened. "Why?"

Yami smiled and ruffled Yugi's hair. "Relax, I'm not going anywhere. Just for old time's sake."

"But you don't have a deck!" Yugi pointed out. In reality he really wasn't worried about Atem having a deck. No, the truth was that his cards were still in that gold box under his bed, and they had been there for months now.

"Don't worry about me," Atem said, breaking Yugi's thoughts. "I have a deck." He proved his point by holding up a deck of cards. "Now, where are yours?"

Yugi looked down and Atem could feel that something was wrong. "Yugi?"

"Well…" Yugi said hesitantly.

"Did you get rid of them?" Atem asked in a slightly awed tone.

"No!" Yugi said quickly. "No. They're…under my bed…"

Atem raised an eyebrow. "Yugi, why are they under your bed?"

Yugi shifted nervously under his covers. "Oh, well, I, uh…Hey!" Atem had ignored him and crawled under the bed. Yugi hid himself under his blanket as Atem came back up.

"Would you car to explain why your cards are in the Puzzle's box and covered with dust?"

Yugi peeked out from under his blanket. "I…um, lost them?" he lied.

Atem's face dropped slightly. "Yugi, I don't believe you. Now tell me the truth."

"Fine," Yugi sighed, pulling the blanket from his face. "The truth is…I stopped dueling."

"You _what_?!"

Yugi pouted. This wasn't exactly something he had wanted to tell Yami. "After you left, I…I just couldn't do it anymore. I tried, believe me. I dueled against Kaiba, Joey, Duke, Bakura, even Tristan, but I just couldn't find the will to continue."

Yami's expression softened and he took Yugi into a hug. "Yugi, you shouldn't have done that. Allowing me to control your life isn't right."

"That's the point!" Yugi cried, startling Yami and causing him to jump back. "That's just it! You _do_ control my life!"

"I…do?" Yami's expression changed to one of sadness. "I'm sorry. I never meant to control you in any way."

"That's not what I meant," Yugi said softly, taking Atem's hand in his. "I meant just the thought of you controls me. My every thought always ends up coming back to you, no matter what. I can't control it, Yami." He squeezed Yami's hand and averted his eyes. "I…I love you."

Yami's eyes widened then he chuckled, causing Yugi to look up. "What?" Yami smiled at him. "I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," he said. When Yugi still looked confused he went on, "We're still connected, little aibou, you must realize that. The very feelings you feel toward me are exactly the same that I feel for you."

"Really?"

Yami nodded. "I would never lie to you, Yugi. I love you as well."

Yugi stared awestruck. Yami was right, they did still share a bond. It was a bit weaker since they had separate bodies, but it was still surprising to hear those words from the pharaoh himself. Sure, he had a soft spot for all his friends, but with Yugi it was different. And now, somehow it felt like a load off both their shoulders to know that the feelings they had always been aware of in the other were out in the open at last.

Yugi snapped out of his thoughts and tightened his grip on Yami's hand again. "I kinda hoped you would."

Yami smiled and leaned forward, but fell a pang of disappointment when Yugi leaned away.

"I'm still sick, Yami," he said.

Yami took Yugi's chin between his thumb and forefinger. "High immunity, remember?"

Yugi just sighed. "Fine, but if you get sick, don't blame me."

Yami smiled, leaned forward, and kissed Yugi gently on the lips.

***

Yami sighed as he stood up. He had just finished cleaning the bathroom and was ready to take a break. He and Yugi had decided they weren't in the mood to duel anymore, so Yugi had convinced him that he was well enough to make his own lunch. "Maybe I should go help him," he considered out loud.

Before he even left the bathroom, he heard a loud crash followed by Yugi's yelp of pain and another crash. "Oh no," he mumbled before going downstairs. When he arrived in the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was the broken dishes on the floor. The second was the blood dripping steadily from Yugi's head, leg, and hands.

"Yugi!" Yami rushed over, being careful not to step on the shattered glass, and grabbed Yugi's arms.

The younger boy yelped and jerked away. "Ow, Yami!"

"I'm sorry," Yami said, feeling a bit stupid for grabbing Yugi so roughly. "What did you do?"

"I went to grab a couple plates so I could make lunch for us, but one slipped, hit the bottom shelf, broke and the pieces cut me on my head. Then, the other one fell out of my hands, broke, and cut my leg. _Then_ when I tried to clean it up, I cut my hands."

Yami gave Yugi a concerned look as he lifted him and set him on the counter. "Yugi, you're going to kill yourself, I told you I would take care of everything. That includes lunch."

"But I feel so useless," Yugi said as he watched Yami wet a rag.

Yami sighed and began wiping the blood from Yugi's head, then his arms, and finally his leg. When he was finally clean and the bleeding stopped, Yami stood and touched his nose to Yugi's. "How am I supposed to take care of you if you continue to harm yourself?"

Yugi looked down. "I'm sorry…"

Yami smiled and stole a kiss from Yugi when he was distracted. "It's alright," he said, enjoying Yugi's stunned expression. "Now, what do you want for lunch?"

"Grilled cheese," Yugi mumbled, still feeling guilty.

Yami frowned then positioned himself so he was standing between Yugi's legs and pressed himself against Yugi's body.

"Y-Yami!" Yugi yelled, blushing madly.

"Aibou," Yami said gently, his face only centimeters from Yugi's. "How many times do I have to tell you before you listen? Just leave everything to me, alright?"

Yugi moaned lightly but didn't say anything.

"Good," Yami said, satisfied. "Now go upstairs and back to bed. I'll bring you your food." He helped Yugi down then gave him a gentle nudge toward the stairs. "And don't touch the laundry basket!"

He listened to Yugi's footsteps until they went to his room, then pulled out a pan and set it on the stove.

Yugi's grandpa then walked into the kitchen. "Hello, Atem. Is Yugi doing any better?"

Yami nodded as he got the ingredients together. "A bit," he replied. "He can sit up now, but he's covered in cuts."

"What happened?" Solomon asked.

"He broke a couple plates," Atem sighed. "He was trying to make lunch, but he's still a bit shaky."

"I thought so," Solomon replied. "Listen, Atem. There's a bad virus going around and I'm afraid Yugi's caught it."

"A virus?" Atem repeated.

Solomon nodded. "From what I read on the Internet, it shows up suddenly and shows the same symptoms as the flu."

"But Yugi's getting better so that means it only lasts a few days, right?"

"Well…"

Yami frowned when Solomon looked away. "What is it?"

"Keep a close eye on him," Solomon instructed. "It seems that the virus 'fakes its death'."

"What do you mean?"

"The person infected seems to be making a full recovery, but suddenly their fever spikes, they get excruciating stomach cramps and violent vomiting, occasionally with blood. Best case scenario, the hospital catches it early and gives antibiotics to help ensure a quick recovery."

"And the worst case?" Yami asked, though he thought he already knew the answer.

"Worse case scenario, the person enters a fever-induced coma with slim chance of recovery. Since viruses can't exactly be 'cured' it's impossible to tell what could happen."

Yami frowned. He now had an even bigger reason to keep and eye on Yugi. If he _did_ have the disease…no! Yami shook his head violently. He didn't even want to _think_ about what could happen. Instead, the looked up at Solomon and said, "I'll watch him with my life. I promise…"


	7. A Turn for the Worse

*****hey guys!! sry for the long delay...it's all college's fault! lol, but anyway, enjoy chappie 7!*****

**Chapter 7: A Turn For the Worse**

Yugi yawned as he opened his eyes to the morning. It had been five days since he'd first gotten sick and now he was finally better. He turned his head and looked at Atem who was sleeping soundly next to him. Yugi turned his body so he was facing Atem and snuggled into him, closing his eyes once more.

"Yugi, don't go back to sleep."

Yugi looked up, shocked, and saw Atem looking down at him. "You're awake!" he exclaimed.

Yami smiled at him. "Yes. Now you have school today so out of bed."

"Do I have to?" Yugi mumbled. Yami nodded and Yugi sighed. "Okay." He sat up, stretched, then hopped out of bed.

Yami sat up as well and watched as Yugi pulled out his uniform and began to get dressed. He frowned in thought. There was no way Yugi could still be sick. The color had returned to his face and his eyes were as bright as ever. But for some reason, Solomon's warning would not leave the pharaoh's mind. Could that mean that even though Yugi seemed fine and healthy, he could actually have a virus ticking like a time bomb inside of him?

He jumped when Yugi suddenly hopped onto the bed, fully clothed. "I'm off to school!" he announced.

Yami smiled. "All right." He began to lean forward, but Yugi beat him to it and pressed his lips against the pharaoh's. When Yugi pulled away, Yami blinked, confused.

"That's for that kiss you stole from me yesterday," he said, amused. "See ya!"

"Don't overwork yourself!" Yami called after him.

"I won't!" came Yugi's reply. Yami sighed when he heard the from door close.

If he knew Yugi, and he did more than anyone, the younger boy probably _would_ overwork himself. Not intentionally, but it would probably happen. He groaned then laid back down and covered his head with the pillow. Hell, just because Yugi got up didn't mean _he_ had to.

***

"Are you serious?" Yugi said, annoyed as he stood outside in shorts and a T-shirt.

"Don't tell me you forgot about our exam," Joey said, stretching.

Yugi looked at him and frowned. "I did until now," he mumbled. It figured the day he got back to school he had to run five miles for a grade. "Just my luck," he sighed.

"Don't worry, Yuge," Joey told him. "I'll make sure Coach takes it easy on ya!"

Yugi shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Hopefully this won't take more than a couple hours anyway."

"Just remember what Yami told you. "Don't over—"

"Overwork myself," Yugi cut him off. "I know, I know. I'll take it slow."

Joey nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Good. Now let's get over there."

Yugi nodded and trudged after Joey to the starting line.

"Ready?" the coach yelled. "Guys go first. And go!" He shot his pistol in the air and boys all took off in a line. Yugi sighed then began jogging at a medium pace. Joey slowed down and met Yugi's speed. "How you holdin' up, Yuge?"

"Too…early to…tell," Yugi said between breaths. "But growth spurts help!" he added with a laugh.

Joey frowned when Yugi's laugh turned into a cough. "You sure you're okay, buddy?"

Yugi coughed roughly one more time and gave Joey a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Come on. We're getting left behind."

Joey looked skeptical as Yugi picked up his pace. If Atem had let Yugi come to school, then _obviously_ Yugi was better, right? Joey sighed. Well, he didn't live with him so how could he know? "Wait up, Yuge!"

***

Yugi moaned and coughed again. He and his friends had been running for almost and hour and that meant there wasn't much longer to go. "Finally," he sighed when he spotted the finish line.

"It's about time!" Joey agreed.

Yugi looked up at Joey. "You know you didn't have to run beside me the whole time."

"Just making sure you're really okay," Joey said with a smile. _'I guess Yuge really _was_ okay,'_ he thought. His attention snapped back when Yugi suddenly stopped and dropped to his knees. "Ow…"

"Yugi!" Joey stopped as well and kneeled down next to him. "What's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts," Yugi moaned.

Joey put his hand to Yugi's head and jerked it away. "I knew it! You're still sick!"

"What?" Yugi looked up confused. "But I was just fine this morning…ow…"

"We gotta get you to the nurse's office. Come on." Joey lifted Yugi onto his back and ran to the coach. "Hey Coach! Yugi needs to see the nurse!"

"What's wrong with him?" the coach asked.

"He collapsed on the ground with a fever!" Joey said impatiently.

"All right, go ahead," the coach finally said.

Joey sighed in relief and made a beeline for the school. Once he reached the nurse's office, he kicked open the door and laid Yugi down on the bed.

The nurse walked in and raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

"My friend is sick!" Joey said.

"Well obviously," the nurse said, sticking a thermometer in Yugi's mouth. When it beeped, she took it out and frowned. "Oh no." Joey watched as she quickly walked to the phone and dialed only three numbers. "Hello, 911? Yes, I need an ambulance at Domino High immediately. We have a student with a temperature of 105.2. Yes, thank you."

Joey stood confused as the nurse came back and began undressing Yugi. "Hey! What are you doing?!"

"105 is extremely high for a fever," the nurse explained. "If it gets any higher…" she trailed off and focused on undoing Yugi's jacket.

"What?" Joey pressed.

The nurse looked up, a worried glimmer in her eyes. "He could die…"

Joey stood dumbstruck as Tristan and Téa burst into the office, still in their PE uniforms, and pushed Joey aside. "Yugi!"

"I need you guys to please keep quiet. I don't want him to—" she stopped when Yugi moaned, rolled on his side and threw up.

"Oh, that's nice," Tristan said, turning his head away.

"Oh my god," the nurse whispered.

"What is it?" Téa asked.

The nurse looked up with horror in her eyes. "His vomit…there's blood…"

The room was silent for a moment then they all heard the ambulance's sirens as it pulled up. The nurse shook out of her shock first. "We need to get down there, now!"

"I think they'll take care of that," Téa said as five paramedics raced into the room with a stretcher. They watched as the paramedics gently lifted Yugi onto the stretcher and began attaching IV's to his arm.

"That's all we can do here!" one yelled. "We have approximately twelve hours. Go, go!"

Téa, Joey, and Tristan watched as their friend was wheeled out on the stretcher. Tristan turned to the nurse. "Twelve hours until what?"

The nurse looked to the side. "A fever that high can cause a person to go into shock because his body isn't getting enough blood. If he doesn't get help soon, he can go into a coma…and never come out."

Téa gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh no." Joey and Tristan just stared. Only hours ago, Yugi was just fine and now he could be on the brink of death. Joey turned and began to walk out of the office.

"Where are you going?" Téa asked, still shaken.

"I'm calling Gramps and Atem. This is way too serious."

***

Atem moaned and rolled over as the phone rang continuously. All the work he had been doing finally caught up with him and now it was time for some relaxation. He sighed in relief when Yugi's grandpa answered the phone. Moments later, the door to his room burst open. "Atem! Wake up!"

Atem curiously sat up and scratched his head. "What is it?" he asked with a yawn.

"Yugi's in the hospital!!"

Yami stopped mid-yawn and stared in shock. "What do you mean?"

"That was the hospital who called," Solomon explained. "Yugi has a 105 degree fever and the ambulance came to pick him up. He was having stomach pains and the nurse said there was blood in his vomit."

Yami's eyes widened. "Oh no. He _does_ have it."

Solomon nodded. "We have to get to the hospital."

Yami nodded. "Let's go." He quickly threw on some clothes, then he and Solomon shot out of the house. Minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. "What room is Yugi in?" Yami panted.

"302," Solomon answered. "I can't believe this…My poor grandson."

Yami patted Solomon on the shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be fine, but this is no time to sit outside worrying. We have to get in there."

Solomon agreed and they both ran into the hospital and up two flights of stairs, not wanting to bother with the elevator. Once at room 302, they burst into the room and skidded to a stop.

In the middle of the room stood Yugi's friends in a circle. In the middle of the circle, Yugi lied unconscious on the bed. Joey looked back first. "Gramps! And Atem!" The others turned around as well and Yami noticed the devastated look in their eyes.

"Has the doctor been in yet?" he asked.

Joey shook his head. "No. The nurse left about two minutes ago to go get him."

Yami held in a breath then walked to the side of Yugi's bed. The boy was breathing heavily and irregularly, as if his lungs didn't know how to work anymore. Sweat poured down his face, sticking his hair to his face which Yami gently moved to the side. Yami bit his lower lip as the heat from Yugi's body radiated onto his hand. "Have they done anything to cool him off?" he asked softly.

Joey stood at his side and watched Yugi as well. "The nurse put some ice packs in his pillow and under the covers, but…it doesn't seem to be helping."

Yami unintentionally let out a faint whimper and bit his lip again to hide his emotions.

About that time, the doctor and two nurses rushed into the room. "Is this the patient?" he asked, taking a stethoscope from around his neck. Yami nodded and moved to the side. The doctor stepped forward and placed the stethoscope on Yugi's chest and frowned. "His respiratory rate is extremely high," he said to himself. Then he took Yugi's wrist into his hand and looked at his watch. A little later he sighed. "That pulse is too high, as well." Turning to a nurse he asked, "Temperature?"

The closest one handed him a record. "Last time we checked it was 105.5."

"Woah!" Joey broke in. "The nurse at school said it was only 105.2!"

The doctor frowned and looked at the nurse again. "His temperature's rising…fast. He needs fluids and coolants. STAT!"

The nurses nodded and both dashed out of the room. The doctor glanced at the heart monitor then turned to the others. "So sorry I didn't introduce myself," he apologized. "I'm Doctor Westland. Who was the first to notice the patient?"

Joey stepped forward. "I was. We had a 5-mile run at school and suddenly he collapsed complaining about stomach pains."

"I see," the doctor said. "Then you took him to the nurse?"

Joey nodded. "He felt hot so I got him there as quick as I could. The nurse said his temperature was 105.2 and called the ambulance. A little later, he puked with blood."

Dr. Westland rose an eyebrow. "There was blood in his vomit?"

Joey nodded.

"Anything else you can tell me?" Dr. Westland asked, turning back to Yugi.

"Um…" Yami spoke up hesitantly. "He…he was sick all last week."

"Is that right?" the doctor asked. "What were his symptoms?"

"Fever, chills, shakiness, fatigue…that's all I remember."

"I see," the doctor sighed. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but did he have any excessive contact with tap water before he got sick?"

Yami closed his eyes in thought. "Well….he did take a shower that night…That's where I found him before…in the bathtub."

"That's what I was afraid of," Dr. Westland mumbled. "I'm afraid he most likely has _Hydrophelia viarosis._ Better known to the public as the 'water possum disease' because—"

"Because of the way it fakes its death," Solomon finished.

"That's right," the doctor said. "The virus that causes it is found in the city's water supply. It appears that the virus was fairly dormant until just recently when the water treatment plant was remodeled. Most people are extremely immune to it because the antibodies in our immune system have already been in contact with the dormant form and destroyed it. Yugi, I'm afraid, is not one of those people. Apparently, the virus hid itself among his cells, but his immune system did little or nothing to remove it. When Yugi came in contact with the active form, the dormant viruses in his body reacted with them and began attacking his body. His immune system then reacted and destroyed the virus."

"So why isn't he better?" Téa pressed.

Dr. Westland sighed. "That's the 'possum' part. While the antibodies are attacking, some viruses will hide inside the white blood cells. Then, once the body is stabilized, they merge with the white blood cells becoming 'super viruses', which are unable to be killed by ordinary antibodies, thus being able to take over the body systems."

"So Yuge's infected by super-viruses?" Joey asked.

The doctor nodded and glanced at the hear monitor again. "I'm afraid we don't have much time."

The room grew quiet as everyone thought about the situation at hand. Finally, Yami sighed and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

His friends watched silently then turned to Dr. Westland. "Exactly how much time?" Solomon asked.

Dr. Westland tilted his head slightly. "I would say about twelve hours before he goes critical." His attention quickly changed to the heart monitor as it began beeping erratically. A couple seconds later, the room was overrun by nurses. "Correction," he said, standing to the side as the nurses surrounded Yugi's bed. "We have less than two."

*****yeah, i know, pretty predicable, right? poor yuge...but anyway, review please! thanks guys!!*****


	8. Help From An Unlikely Friend

**** okay, okay, i know...i officially suck. haven't updated anything in months and i'm still getting reviews on it...so to all of you who have been long awaiting this chapter, you can stop throwing stuff at me cuz it's up now ^^; thanks to all of you who reviewed and kept up with this...****

**disclaimer: yu-gi-oh does not belong to me in any way, or else there would've been some HOT yaoiness going on in the anime...*wink***

**Chapter 8: Help From an Unlikely Friend**

Yami sat next to Yugi's bed and stared down at the boy. Only forty-five minutes had passed and there was still no improvement in Yugi's condition.

The others had already left, saying they were going to go get food. When Yami had finally returned after leaving the room, Joey had asked him if he wanted anything, but the pharaoh had refused, claiming he wasn't hungry. Then Tristan had asked if he was okay. Yami nodded and said he just had to use the restroom.

Atem bit his lip and clenched his fists on his lap. That was far from the truth. The truth of the matter was that there was no way he could handle this. As soon as he left, he had gone straight to the bathroom, punched the wall, collapsed on the floor and cried. It was all he could do. The tears wouldn't stop and for a whole twenty minutes the usually strong, confident pharaoh broke down.

Yami suddenly blinked and a tear fell on his hand. He sighed and wiped his eyes. He hadn't realized he had been crying again. He sniffled and looked up at Yugi. Only twenty minutes ago Yami had been told that Yugi only had two hours left. He frowned and forced his tears away once more. He couldn't handle this. Yugi meant the absolute _world_ to him, more than Joey, Tristan, Téa…even Yugi's own grandfather was less important to the pharaoh than Yugi himself. But sitting here crying wasn't going to bring Yugi back to him, nothing would as far as the pharaoh was concerned.

So, unable to contain his grief once more, Yami leaned forward, kissed Yugi's sweaty forehead and left the room…

Joey stared out the window of the restaurant as he played with the straw in his mouth. The pharaoh had told him that he was fine, but Joey knew better. Spending four years with him and even longer with Yugi had make it easy for him to tell when either one of them was lying. The blond sighed, letting the straw fall out of his mouth.

"What's up, dude?" Tristan asked, leaning forward.

"I'm just worried," Joey answered.

Téa sighed and sipped her milkshake. "I know, me too. I mean, we've been together with Yugi for years. I can't believe we're losing him `Q to a disease."

"We're not losing him!" Joey blurted, slamming the table. "Yugi's made it out of tougher situations than this before! We _can't_ give up on him!"

"I understand, Joey," Téa said softly. "But this isn't a matter of him losing his soul like before. He could actually die."

"Don't say that!" Joey yelled. "Yugi _will_ survive!"

"What are you geeks over here yelling about?" a voice asked.

The three turned around in shock. "Kaiba!" they exclaimed.

Kaiba stood next to their table in a T-shirt and jeans and smirked. "Who else would I be? The tooth fairy?"

"You look…different," Téa said.

"Of course he does!" Joey said. "Rich boy's not wearin' his suit!"

"Oh! You're right!"

"Great. Now that we've all discussed my wardrobe, answer my question. What are you yelling about?" He raised an eyebrow when the other three lowered their heads and became quiet.

"It's Yugi," Téa said.

"Yugi?" Kaiba repeated, looking around. "Where is he?"

"Domino Hospital," Tristan replied. "He's sick."

"So what, did little Yugi catch a nasty cold?" His sarcastic smile vanished when Téa began crying. "No Kaiba!" she cried. "Yugi…he's going to die!"

"What are you talking about?" Seto pressed, frowning.

"Yuge's in the hospital," Joey repeated. "He's really sick, Kaiba. Some water disease or something—"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about that _Hydrophelia_ disease, would you?" Seto asked, his eyes widened slightly.

Joey nodded.

Seto frowned again. "What room is he in?"

"302," Téa told him, confused. "Why?"

Seto ignored her and took out his phone. "It's me," he said shortly after dialing. "I need the KC medical staff to Domino Hospital immediately! Patient: Yugi Moto, Room 302!"

Tristan, Téa, and Joey stared at Seto in shock. "Say what?" Joey said.

Seto turned back to them. "Just because we're rivals doesn't mean I'm going to let him die. The KC med staff has some of the world's most educated doctors. If anyone can find a cure and save Yugi, it's them."

"Thank you, Kaiba," Téa whispered.

"I don't have time for your petty thank-you's. Now, let's get to that hospital!"

Yami opened his eyes and lifted his head wearily. He had fallen asleep with his head on Yugi's bed for the second time in twenty minutes. He woke up once when a nurse came in to check Yugi's stability. Unfortunately, his respiration and pulse hadn't improved, but gotten slightly worse. And, according to the doctor, if it continued at the present rate, Yugi's body would completely exhaust itself and shut down entirely.

The pharaoh's eyes drooped. He had spent the whole day in the hospital, either in Yugi's room or somewhere else sobbing, crying himself to sleep twice. He sighed and placed a hand on his head. All this crying was causing his head to pound so hard, he couldn't even think. He looked up when the door to the room opened and Joey walked in.

"Hey, Pharaoh," he greeted. "Anything?"

Yami shook his head wearily. "No," he answered. "He's stayed the same…even the doctor's haven't been able to do anything."

"That's because they aren't the best," came Seto's voice.

Yami swung around and gasped. "Kaiba! What are _you_ doing here?"

Seto glanced at Joey then back at Yami. "I don't believe I asked for an audience," he said.

"Hey!" Joey said. "Anything you need to say to him, you can say in front of me!"

"Joey," Atem said softly, weakly looking up at his friend. "Please."

Joey groaned in slight frustration. "All right, Yuge, I'm goin'."

Yami smiled slightly. "Thank you."

Yami watched Joey go then as soon as the door closed, he turned to Seto. "Now, what is it?" he asked, trying his best (and kinda failing) to sound authoritive.

Seto sighed and walked over to the bed, bypassing Yami, and looked down at Yugi. "I can't believe this," he mumbled.

"Kaiba?" Atem called.

Seto turned to him and the pharaoh was shocked to see Seto's blue eyes full of pain. "How could this happen?" Seto demanded.

"Uh…Kaiba? What has gotten into you?"

Seto lowered his head and turned back to Yugi. "I…I may not show it very well, but Yugi…Yugi is my closest friend…my _only_ friend really. I _can't_ let him die."

"Kaiba…"Yami said softly. Then his eyes softened and he gazed at Yugi. "He's my closest friend, too. And it's for that exact reason we have to believe…Yugi _will_ make it through this."

Yami paced outside the door to Yugi's hospital room. The doctors from Kaiba Corp were currently performing all kinds of tests on the unconscious Yugi while Seto looked on. The Corporation president had advised Yami that it was probably best if he left the room and went to get something to eat or something. Yami sighed. How was he supposed to eat anything with Yugi in the hospital? The others had all gone home by now to do homework or whatever they had to take care of. Yami glanced at the door. There was no way he could go home. All that was there for him was to keep Yugi's grandpa company, but Solomon has assured him that he was okay and had told Yami to stay at the hospital…not that it took very much convincing.

Finally, the door to Yugi's room opened and Seto walked out with the head physician by his side. Yami sprinted to them, hope glistening in his eyes. "Is he okay?"

Seto looked from Yami to the physician, signaling for the latter to speak. The physician lowered his mask, sighed, then looked up at Yami with a smile. "He'll be just fine. He's awake if you want to see him."

Yami nodded, gave his thanks to Seto, and dashed into the room. The physician turned to Seto. "Are you okay with that?" he asked.

Seto nodded. "I guess…I mean you know how much of a sore loser I am. But when it comes to Yugi, I at least know when I don't have a chance and to back down. Let's go…that pharaoh so owes me later."

Meanwhile, inside the room, Yami walked over to Yugi, who was laying with his eyes closed. The pharaoh gently moved a strand of hair out of Yugi's face, causing the latter to open his eyes. "Yami?" he whispered.

Yami nodded. "Yeah, it's me."

Yugi smiled wearily. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I…missed you, too," Yami said, not knowing what else to say. "But I haven't left your side, Yugi, I couldn't. You're my friend…my aibou…and I love you."

Yugi's eyes widened slightly then he smiled. "I know….I love you too."

Yami just stared at Yugi, violet eyes meeting violet, then suddenly, on instinct, the pharaoh leaned down and kissed Yugi.

Yugi sat shocked for a moment as the kiss landed longer than he expected. But as the shock faded, Yugi wrapped his arms around the pharaoh's neck and pulled him down, deepening the kiss.

Yami chuckled and pulled away, leaving Yugi with a _very_ disappointed look on his face. "I'm sorry, aibou," he said. "But you're still in the hospital. I'm afraid that's all I can do for now." He laughed again when Yugi pouted and turned his head away. "Later," he told the younger boy. "I promise."

**A/N: ooo yami promises, huh? i can't remember what i rated this as...if it's m, there will be some uber yaoi lemonness to come, and if it's t...well, it may just end up being changed...but yugi's alive, huzzah! see, i wasn't gonna put him through too much more drama...after all, i don't think i could stand to make yami cry anymore! ^^; reviews are greatly appreciated! (even if i don't update as often as i used to...lol)**


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